Can We Have Too Much Experience On Our Resume?Tuesday, February 19, 2019

The grass is greener on the other side, and it is understood even more clearly when it comes to listing down our work experiences in the resume.

It’s an issue when you don’t have adequate work experience, and it is still an issue when you have too much of it.

The question is exactly how much is too much when it comes down to putting it down in the resume?

What exactly should and shouldn’t make it to your resume?

Here’s a guideline if you’ve found yourself at an impasse:

Follow the Rule of Thumb

The rule of thumb is to list down the most recent work experiences and discard any that you attained more than 10 years ago.
That being said, there is no hard and fast rule for this.

Your resume should show what your employer would want to see. If you are applying for a teaching job, then there’s no use mentioning your experience as a chef; even if that is what you did just five years ago. If you have to go farther back in order to list down a more relevant work experience, by all means, do that.

You Don’t Have to Mention Job Duties

The readability of a resume matters and anything that reduces it must go away. Sometimes, relevant work experiences are too many and despite trying your best, you just cannot lose a single one of them.

In such cases, feel free to cut down on job duties. In fact, get rid of them. Most jobs are pretty self-explanatory and most of the times, interviewers love to ask about your past job duties.

You Must Mention Your Volunteer Work

Many of us make the mistake of forfeiting our volunteering experiences, for the sake of our work experiences. Don’t do that!
Volunteer work weighs in heavily on the resume and gives the employer an insight into your passions. Additionally, skills required in volunteer work cannot be replaced by those acquired at a workplace.

Don't Undermine the Importance of Relevant Projects

The work experience section in your resume is not strictly limited to your work experiences. In fact, if you have worked on a specific project in the past then that deserves a place in your resume.

The thing about projects is that even if you failed at one, it will tell your prospective employer how willing you were to take risks. This especially works in the favor of fresh-graduates who had everything to lose, yet took the risks.

Are you looking for a new job? Are you seeking opportunities for your professional growth?

Perhaps you are an employer who wants to forego all the recruitment and hiring process but wants skilled staff for your workforce.

Whatever your dilemma is, if you live in Texas, then RJ Byrd will take care of it for you. Our staffing firm works with core values and makes sure the right people are placed at the right spot.